The Month Ahead: Exhibits

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WONDER WALL
Showcased in a new Sydney exhibit, the work of influential modern photographer Jeff Wall evokes powerful and surprising responses

Large and luminous, glowing from within their trademark light boxes, the photographs of Jeff Wall do not lend themselves to casual appreciation. The Canadian artist, who has described his subject matter as the “unswept corners of everyday life,” produces images that do not strike you so much as seep into you. His pictures—or reconstructed memories—seem to be uncomposed, chaotic, a little random. Spend enough time gazing into them, though, and unexpected reactions occur: Wall is a master at making the ordinary seem ethereal, even spooky. Starting this month, some of his major works go on display at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art. The Destroyed Room alone is worth the trip. MAY 1